Another Chance
by EmpressKira
Summary: Marco was having nightmares of a battle after Ace went after the traitor and it unsettled him as it got worse each night. Oyaji let Marco go after their brother to bring him home. Alternate event to what happened. Enjoy!


_**A/N:: When you are having Ace withdrawals and not wanting to perceive him as dead. My baby, I'm going to keep you alive in this.**_

 _ **((No pairing unless you want to squint really hard))**_

* * *

 **Another Chance**

A hasty gasp was heard before the body from the bed sat upright suddenly and breaths were heaving through lungs. The chest glistened in sweat, making the tattoo glimmer lightly in the moonlight coming from the port window. Sea air flowed in from it as it was cracked just partially open to let in the night's fresh air and serene silence. Blue eyes shimmered in surprise as one of the hands that was supporting his body behind him moved to run through blonde hair shakily.

Confusion started to show as the man calmed down whilst shifting to move a leg and have an elbow support against his knee as he stared to the blanket still covering his lower half. Breaths smoothed out to a calm pace as he shifted his hand from hair to scratch at his stubble on his chin with a sigh leaving him.

It was that nightmare again and all he could really think about the past week as he still tried to process on what was happening in it. Everything was bad enough right now since they lost their fourth division commander, a close friend of his for a long while. They were all brothers, a big family, and to think someone who they called as another brother killed the man over a _devil fruit_ aggravated him to no end. Now thinking that he was responsible, their youngest commander ran off to take care of a man who was a part of his division.

Back to his dream, no _nightmare_ , it has been haunting him for the past week and progressing worse over time. It was a large battle, not entirely sure on where or exactly why, but it had to do with the second division commander and that didn't settle with him right. Thinking it had something to do with the male brought a flourishing anxiety through him, especially since it was bad enough they got into a slight disagreement before the younger commander left in a flurry of vengeance.

This sigh left the first division commander, gazing to the round window and soon he was out of his bed, feeling restless like usual. The battle in his head fading into a thrum of worry and uncertainty whilst he moved along the hall of where the other commanders rested. Snores were heard with some light sleep talk and the blonde merely moved to be up on the deck and moving to the railing. A deep breath left him as he took in the air fully to calm his festering. The presence that he became aware of soon had heavy steps sounding out with the approach and a towering man stood next to him. A deep sigh came out as he flickered eyes at the moon and arms shifted along the railing.

"Nurse Maybelle will be mad, Oyaji." The words came out as the blonde commander heard a soft rumble, feeling the light tremors it causes.

"Gaki, talking to me like that, guararara!" A smile showed on the first division commander as he enjoyed the rumbles his captain gave off before they quieted off. "What has you troubled, Marco?"

"What makes you think I am troubled?" The question was out as he soon looked to his captain, having to crane his neck to fully face up at the partial-giant of a man.

"Don't be coy, my boy. You have been for most of the week." A knowing grin showed under the white moustache as the captain gave grey twinkling eyes to his son. That stoic face shifted lightly with a minor grimace and Marco soon sighed out in defeat.

"I've been having this vivid dream and it just keeps getting worse every night." The blonde mentioned as he stood up fully whilst rubbing the back of his neck and the other hand rest on his hip.

"About Ace?"

"Everyone, but it does have to do with him, like he is the main reason of the fight and it unsettles me, yoi." The comment came out as he soon crossed arms with a restless movement and soon a hand was on his shoulder.

"Marco… what is it you want to do?" Whitebeard asked in a serious tone, wanting the truth from his commander and soon blue orbs were beaming up at him.

"I need to bring back Ace before something bad happens." The blonde mentioned with a firm gaze before he felt the light squeeze to his shoulder.

"Go bring back your brother, Marco." This relief showed over the first division commander as he faced his captain with a nod.

"I will gather my things and leave before anyone notices, its best if I go immediately." The words came out hastily as he could feel a carnal desire to retrieve back someone important to their family.

"Very well, son. Do make sure you do not engage Teach, this will be something we solve as a family." Marco nodded his head in understanding and began shifting to his room where he soon heard a hum. "And do make up _properly_ with Ace." The word was punctuated, getting the first commander to pause and look back to his captain who grinned with a gleam of knowing. "Off with you, boy."

"I will return with Ace soon, yoi."

* * *

Marco was grateful that all the commanders got a Vivre card and handed a piece to one another. It made his trip easier as the necklace he bared around his neck dangled lightly in his phoenix form with two inside, one belonging to the second commander and the other their captain. He had a bag harnessed to his upper body, though it didn't show in his phoenix form. It wasn't necessary to carry much, but he did have a few things stored away for when he gained a passenger and if he needed to buy anything.

News from Alabasta showed him in the direction of heading towards Jaya and he had a feeling that was the best place to stop along the way would be the one following that one, Banaro Island. Wings flapped through the sky as he couldn't help but dwell on his nightmares and what he would say to Ace. It wasn't like the first commander to lose his patience so quickly about someone viewing something like that. They had all been on edge of what happened, so fresh in their hearts the tear was at losing Thatch. Marco didn't think anything of it, trying to hold strong for everyone, but he assumed that he had let it take over.

The mythical zoan was irritated that after what happened that the second commander would risk ripping another hole in their chests. Marco snapped out at the youth and said things he shouldn't have. It all spilled out form his lips and he regretted them as they came out, but he couldn't stop himself. He called Ace a child, an extreme _no_ to do especially to the dark-haired youth who held a place as one of the youngest of the crew and as a commander. In no way was he implying that Ace was incompetent, but he was upset to think they could lose someone else. If anything, Marco felt guilt that he potentially drove his brother off to his death as they knew nothing about the devil fruit and if the man ate it or not. Which, most likely, he had.

It was midday when he approached the island, making sure to linger the edges and landed with his body shifting. The town wasn't far and he immediately took note of Stryker resting on the shore near the vegetation. To hide it, but not too much in case he needed to leave again. Marco felt hope flourish through him as he began moving towards the town and heard the people. As he approached though, he noticed people begin to take refuge away from the town with whispers.

" _Our town will be destroyed at this rate."_

" _That man and his power is frightening."_

Hearing that last sentence had a gut-wrenching sensation tug in Marco's belly and moved a bit out of view. A laugh of familiarity was there and the blonde commander stopped at a building to lean with eyes gleaming down a couple buildings down. Ace was on top of a building, crouching with a scowl at Teach who was bellowing in laughter from in front of a bar. This had made Marco contemplate on what he should do, before noticing a shot go off and red flames flickered to chase the bullet.

The fight had started and he knew not to interrupt unless necessary. Taking steps away, Marco moved to linger to the outskirts before moving to fly up to a rock to linger. Finding a good perch for the fight without anyone to notice who he was, he sat down with a leg propped up to have an arm resting to a knee. It was best for the first commander to speculate and see on what Teach's power holds.

The pillar of darkness was a little surprising and Marco continued to watch as he witnessed the town get sucked into the ground by a giant black hole. That stoic face shifting a little, but showing nothing else as his brother to a hit on the traitor once spitting the town out. The thing though is when Ace's body found the other man's grip and it unsettled the blonde as he was tentative with his eyesight noticing as Teach _punched_ the second division commander. _Punched_.

That wasn't good.

Marco moved towards the edge a bit and made sure to keep a tentative eye and grimaced only slightly when another hit was to the young commander. It was all unnerving seeing this, but he held place as they fought. Things were starting to turn serious, neither having the patience and blue eyes were shielded when the large fireball was made. This was serious, for Ace to bring this out and he tried to keep a view as the two moved towards each other.

The Sun vs Darkness.

And the Darkness prevailed in the end.

The first commander moved to stand and was watching to see as Teach had sat to the ground with a laugh. Ace was sprawled out on the ground, unconscious Marco had presumed and that was it. The last thing he needed was to lose another brother and he soon moved forward to let his body fall. Blue wings flared to life before talons shifted to quickly push off the rock he was near to have a boost as his full body changed into his phoenix form. Wings flapped vigorously as he soon dived down, a shot ringing out and he knew the bullet with through him. It also alarmed Teach to soon gaze up and over to him. Eyes widened in surprise at seeing the first commander, who swooped down to grasp Ace with large talons fitting to be around most of the body.

"No! He's my bounty!" The man of darkness raved out trying to get onto foot, but wasn't quick enough as Marco was already soaring along over the sea. Faint curses were heard from Teach in fury of losing a great bounty to rise into a higher standing.

Marco paid no heed as he had his brother safely in his hold and would head towards the nearest island, knowing that he would at least have a few days on Teach if he tried to pursue. The mythical zoan did not take long in travels so something that could take up to a week on a ship will only take a couple days for him.

He just hoped his passenger wouldn't awake during that time.

* * *

Sitting in the chair at the end of the bed, feet propped on the foot board, Marco did have his head back until he heard noises from the bed. Blue eyes watched the shifting before the body stiffening, probably in remembrance of what happened. The dark-haired male shot up with an offensive pose before making eye contact with the first commander who stared lazily to him.

"Good morning, yoi." Confusion showed on his face before relaxing and Ace moved a hand to ruffle his hair as he looked to the side. It was written on the youth's face, he knew had lost and now had other things to worry about, like his superior scolding him. "Your neck may be sore, I checked to see if he shifted anything." Eyes flickered in surprise as Ace rested elbows to his knees and gave a questioning look.

"You didn't stop me?"

"Hm?" The hum of questioning was there from the blonde as he crossed arms and let the chair start tilting onto the hind legs.

"You were at the fight, right?"

"Would you have wanted me to stop the fight, yoi?" The question had an obvious answer and the dark-haired commander sighed with a hand rubbing at his neck.

"So, you saw?" The question showed a grimace along with it and Marco tilted his head.

"Yes, that power should not be trifled with alone." That only made the grimace deepen and the blonde could already tell everything running through the youth's head. "Ace," the name left him as he waited for the one addressed to face him. "I apologize for my words spoken towards you. You are a man, not a child like I had claimed; I've always known that." Clarification was there as Marco soon closed eyes with a tilt of his head as his expression never changed. "It's been a while since someone has passed from the family in a tragic manner and, as you are aware, Thatch was someone who has been with us close to the beginning of the crew along with Jozu as well. Everyone was drawn to him like a beacon." The words came out as the blonde rolled his head to go back and tilted the chair more with a breath out. "All I said was out of concern of losing another brother, yoi. Even if you stay angry, I do hope it does not dwell on the factor of me believing you as a child—for I do not."

A silence followed as Marco took it in, knowing the other was either thinking or vexing. Either would be adequate for what the first commander deemed as unacceptable to do to a brother who had been hurting just as bad as he was. Everyone took things differently, losing brothers always hurt and they knew it could happen while fighting and they have lost many over the years. Marco was witness to all that, being with Whitebeard over twenty years, sailing the sea with him. It never was easy, each time dwelling heavier than the last, but the one's like Lavi—the former second commander—and now Thatch was too much of a hit to Marco. The more tragic or demeaning deaths stung harder and though many believed he was prone to such things, he wasn't.

"I expected a scolding, not an apology." The honest words came out, making the head shift and blue eyes found the youth staring in questioning.

"For what I have been through these past nights, a scolding is far from my mind." The mentioning came out, interesting Ace on what exactly the older meant and gave a quizzical look. "A nightmare of sorts, if you must indulge."

"On what?" That had Marco gazing at the other contemplating on if he should say more and let out a breath.

"A battle of sorts, you were the reason for us to be there and everyone was fighting for some reason pertaining to you. It didn't settle with me well, yoi. So, Oyaji let me take my own initiative on coming to retrieve you, but I would never interrupt my brother's battles. Especially if they already engaged into it." That had Ace gaze in questioning before shifting to have a leg hanging off the bed and noticed he was only in his shorts.

"Did you get my hat?" The question was to divert the conversation, something Marco was slightly thankful on and gave a mused hum.

"That was the last thing on my mind, yoi."

"Stupid pineapple." Seeing that cheeky grin relaxed the first commander, even with the nickname used and he snorted with eyes closing. A silence dwelled over them, bringing a calm layer over them before Marco moved to stand.

"Are you ready to head home?" Blue eyes stared to the other who gave a grin and began to rise from the bed.

"Aye… I have to apologize to Oyaji when we return."

"That's if he doesn't smother you with his haki and arm, yoi." That made both chuckle at the true statement and imagined the nurses being angry over their captain moving too much. "We will _all_ take Teach on another day, but for now…" Feet had shifted as he placed a hand to a shoulder and gripped it with a smile to Ace. "Let's us enjoy another day alive."

"Preferably with the whole family."

"Aye." Marco agreed as a hand returned the gesture on his own shoulder and it brought a comfort through him seeing those dark eyes gazing up at him.

 _Today, he was not losing another brother and that…_

 _Is what Marco would consider a great day._


End file.
